Advocate staff photo by Patrick Dennis
New Orleans tight end Ernie Conwell, right, catches a pass in front of defender Tebucky Jones during TuesdayÃƒÂƒÃ¢Â€Â¢s drills.
METAIRIE -- After setting club records for points scored and touchdowns in 2002, the New Orleans Saints went into the offseason with few needs on offense.

Last year the Saints offense was the best we have ever seen, however, there is much room for improvement. When I look at the Saints last few games of the season, the offense seemed to implode. I know Duece being hurt didn\'t help any, but a good tightend could have really helped out, and not just for the last few games, but for the whole year.

Never has a Haslett-coached tight end caught more than 21 passes. Last year, Sloan caught 12 for 127 yards. Now this is nothing to write home to mom about. In fact, this is down right pathetic.

With all the praise the Saints offense has received, the offense was far from complete in all areas. Tightend being one of them and throwing to the running back being the other major weak area.

Aaron Brooks has drawn a lot of heat for not having his completion percentage high enough. When you look at other QB\'s around the league they had a reliable tightend and an effective screen pass.

This year we have Conwell, who should give Brooks something he has been lacking since he has been a Saint. Can you imagine what having a good tightend is going to mean to this offense? With all the playmakers we have on offense, Conwell will add a whole new dimenison. Aaron should really shine this year.

Anyone else have any thoughts on what having a good tightend is going to mean to the offense? Yeah that means you!!

It\'s going to be great, having a TE like Ernie Conwell. I think if we had him last season, we would have been in the playoffs. Conwell will bring alot to the table, Sloan just didn\'t cut it last season, he kept missing like 8 yard passes.

Conwell will be a major threat to a opposing defense, I like him alot and with him on our offense, we should be a greater force than last season.

I think no matter what tight end we have, they won\'t play a big part in the receiving game.

I agreed with you then and I still agree. The question to me is if Brooks will recognize an open tight end when the long pass isn\'t there or if it will take him too much time to go through his options. If a play is designed for the tight end it will probably work with Conwell more than it will fail. But the cathces a tight end gets as a \"garbage man\" from plays that weren\'t designated for him will be missing. Conwell will get his 30-40 catches, but that still isn\'t an effective use of a tight end.

Yeah, I still don\'t think our tightends are going to be in the upper part of the league in catches, but in our offense we don\'t need them to be. Just so long as the defense has to respect them will open up so much.

From everything I\'m reading the Saints are really concentrating on the tightends and screen passes. They even brought in an ex-NFL coach to help out with the screen pass.

Just having a quality TE to dump off to in a pinch will help AB out alot this year. The quick dump off pass as well as the 5 yard quick pass over the middle is an easy pick up which we haven\'t had for too many years. Conwell (spelled it right this time BC) will help our offense out alot. I think AB will learn to look for this outlet with time and coaching.